july | august 2019 70
The Artisan Growers
JOHN ROSS AND JENNIFER BOGGISS
Cofounders and Directors of Heilala Vanilla | Tauranga, New Zealand
heilalavanilla.com
Follow on Instagram: @heilalavanilla
Hand-harvested in the verdant Kingdom of Tonga, Heilala
Vanilla beans are grown and gleaned with meticulous
care and unwavering attention to detail at
every step of the process. Using centuries-
old methods that most other vanilla growers
have abandoned for less costly methods, Heilala offers
incredibly plump, high-quality beans with deep, rich
fl avor—professionals and home bakers can’t get enough.
It’s the offi cial vanilla of Bake from Scratch and is recognized
by culinary institutions such as New York City’s Gramercy
Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, and Ovenly. After a cyclone hitTonga in 2002, New Zealand native and farmer by trade John Ross wanted to
help build Tonga back up. “I’d had an interest in growing vanilla for a long time,”
John says. “Tonga’s climatic conditions are ideal, so I decided to start a vanilla
plantation.” With a business model designed to empower the surrounding Tongan
community, John established vanilla farms of 8 acres in Tonga. Two years later,
John’s daughter Jennifer Boggiss, who serves as Heilala’s CEO, introduced the
fi rst crop to New Zealander and Australian chefs. John and Jennifer have now
expanded their operation by partnering with farmers across Tonga, with recent
plantings of 108 acres completed. As the duo grow Heilala both by land and into
larger global markets, they’re changing the vanilla industry, one bean at a time.
HeilalaVanillashinesintheVanillaBerryPavlovaonpage27.Formoreinformation
onwhyHeilalais theofficialvanillaofBakefromScratch, visitbakefromscratch.com/
official-test-kitchen-partner/heilala-vanilla.